


Pinned to the Mind

by hellofromorlando



Series: Gold [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ball, DIMITRI gets REJECTED, F/M, Mercedes is just mentioned, One-Sided Attraction, Please Read The Tags First, Rejection, byleth ends up choosing linhardt, just had to make that clear for some people, so is sylvain, some drunkenness, this is about dimitrixbyleth but only dimitri's pov because it is one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 04:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20419550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellofromorlando/pseuds/hellofromorlando
Summary: Dimitri falls in love with his new professor, Byleth, so much so that he believes that she is the one. He makes her a beautiful golden pin with the help of the blacksmith and gives it to her on the night of the ball. He does assume that she does not return his feelings, as she seems to have her eyes set on somebody else, though he has no clue as to who.





	Pinned to the Mind

Sylvain nudged Felix, holding up a folded piece of paper in the shape of a triangle up to his raven haired friend's face. "C'mon, Felix, just a few rounds," he whispered eagerly. Felix grunted. "It's not like the teacher's watching!" Felix looked away, focusing more on his notes. "Oh come on, you're no fun."

Felix eyed Sylvain, and then went back to writing about something the teacher mentioned about a technique in parrying attacks with a sword. "Shut up, Sylvain, please. It may not be important to you, but I need to listen right now." Sylvain huffed, putting his chin on his hand and pouting like a child in defeat. 

Annette and Mercedes giggled and gossiped in each other's ears, glancing back two rows at Dedue once in a while, and then turning their attention across the classroom to Ashe. 

Ashe, on the other hand, was trying his best not to fall asleep, in which Ingrid kept violently slapping the gray-haired boy across the head with her pencil to keep him awake. 

In the table in front of them, Linhardt was of course fast asleep, and next to him, Caspar was vigorously doodling on the margins of his notebook.

Dorothea and Ferdinand had their chairs almost fully turned around, having a very intense argument with Ignatz and Leonie about what tea flavor was the best. 

Byleth noticed all of this, continuing on with her lecture as normal. She knew most of the students didn't pay attention to subjects that didn't interest them, so if they didn't listen, then she assumed it was their loss.

Dimitri tried to focus on his notes today, but he was much too distracted as well. No, it was not the way that everyone else in the classroom was distracted, as nobody truly listened to the teacher's lectures all of the time. Except for him, who was far too fixated on her and what she was saying to actually write anything down on a piece of paper.

Dedue took notice of this, and placed an expression of concern on his face when speaking to Dimitri in a hushed voice. "Are you okay, your Highness?" 

Dimitri finally snapped his attention away from Byleth, looking at Dedue instead. 

"I've noticed you haven't been writing any notes in class recently. Is there something that is bothering you?" Dedue asked, extremely observant as always, and a fluttering feeling in Dimitri's stomach made him notice how grateful he was when Dedue showed him concern. It was an extremely selfish thought of him, Dimitri told himself, to take advantage of a friend like that. 

Dimitri desperately wanted to tell Dedue what was wrong, but he didn't even know himself. He didn't know the meaning of the burning feeling that coursed through his body whenever he thought about their professor. He didn't know why sometimes in class when he would just stare into her bright lavender eyes for ages. He didn't know why she plagued his thoughts, morning and night, and couldn't explain what the burning feeling to hold her hand every time they were in close proximity was.

He wanted to tell him, but he couldn't. He just didn't know what it meant.

"It's nothing, Dedue." He really wanted to tell him. "Don't worry about it." He should have said. "I'll be fine." Would have been a better thing to say.

Instead, those strong urges to vent to someone about these unknown feelings, to find somebody that may have an answer to this strange phenomenon happening to Dimitri, overpowered his morality in the situation. 

"Something strange has been happening, recently. It's probably a minor thing, though. I will talk to you about it later, if you're interested," Dimitri said, trying to make it seem like Dedue had a choice. Of course he would be interested, Dedue would never pass up any opportunity to learn more about Dimitri. 

"Dimitri?" Someone called, and Dimitri immediately recognized the voice. His face turned a slight shade of pink, and he looked towards the front of the room at the professor, who had her hands on her hips. Surprisingly, though, the professor looked more disappointed rather than scornful, which Dimitri expected to see the latter expression. 

"I thought you were interested in this subject," Byleth pouted, "I guess you're interested in other things. Keep doing whatever you're doing, though. I'm not stopping you." She winked at him, causing Dimitri's skin to turn deep red, as she eyed Dedue for a moment, and then looked back at Dimitri before continuing her lesson. Dimitri was confused by this gesture, but pleased with it all the same. As long as it wasn't negative attention, he appreciated any kind of attention that the professor would provide him. 

He listened to the rest of the lesson attentively, until they were all dismissed from class to eat lunch in the dining hall. 

Dimitri was the first to sit down at the table for his lunch as he usually rushed out of the classroom to get to the line first, and Dedue sat in his usual seat beside his liege soon after. The Duscur man seemed eager to say something to Dimitri, and so began to speak as soon as the oppurtunity came to him.

"I am truly sorry for distracting you from the professor's lecture and calling attention to you like that. I should have kept my statements to myself. If there is any way I could make it up to you —"

Dimitri held a hand up, pausing Dedue's overly-dressed apology. "Please, Dedue. Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault at all. In fact, I deeply appreciate your concern for my well-being."

"Are you sure? You seemed very embarassed when —"

"Dedue!" Dimitri yelled a bit louder than he expected, yet fed up with Dedue's continuous mistake of blaming himself for everything that happens to Dimitri when he is present. "I assure you, it has nothing to do with you," Dimitri reassured with a quiter voice.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. Maybe I was thinking too recklessly," Dedue said, eyes trailing down to his food. He seems to have lost this trivial argument. 

Dimitri dropped his fork that was about to pick up his first bite of food and placed a caring hand on Dedue's shoulder, looking him in the eyes as Dedue turned his head in response to the gesture. 

"Nothing you say or do ever deserves apology."

And when Dedue didn't respond to him due to his stubborness, Dimitri understood and began to eat his salad.

\---

Three knocks on the door startled Dimitri as he was beginning to doze off while finishing off one of his assignments.

"Who is it?" Dimitri asked, grogginess clogging the back of his throat.

"We can talk tomorrow if you want to, your Highness," Dedue's stern voice spoke through the door. Of course, Dimitri's only invited guest tonight. Though, he wouldn't mind if it were the professor, visiting either... In fact, he may have preferred it, though he would never say no to spending time with Dedue, someone he owed so much to and cared for so deeply.

"Come in, Dedue. It's unlocked."

And so Dedue opened the door, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Dimitri gave him a weird look after a long moment of silence. "You can close the door now. It's not like we don't know each other or anything. This is a private conversation, after all."

Dedue nodded and wordlessly closed the door behind him. Dimitri got up from his desk, sat down on the edge of his bed, and patted the space next to him to invite Dedue to do so, too.

Dedue obliged, sitting down next to Dimitri, but keeping as much distance as he deemed appropriate between himself and the prince. Dimitri hated it that he had to order Dedue around in order for him to do anything, but he knew otherwise Dedue would still be standing in the doorway or would have left by now.

"So what has been troubling you?" Dedue asked, Dimitri's name on the tip of his tongue but he was still too uncomfortable to speak it, despite being in such an intimate environment.

"Do you really want to know about it?" Dimitri asked, already knowing Dedue's answer, and of course Dedue nodded in return. 

Dimitri took a deep breath, preparing for a rant, and then began. "There is a certain person who makes me feel... strange. I don't necessarily understand the feelings, but I would like to."

Dedue listened attentively, and after a short pause, he asked. "What do you mean by 'strange', if you don't mind me asking? Any examples?"

Dimitri bit his lip, thinking of moments where he thought these strange feelings about the professor. He tried to look back on the examples he thought of earlier today, or maybe things that have happened to him fairly recently. 

"For the past two months, my thoughts always have been... directed towards a certain someone... that someone being Byl- the professor," Dimitri blushed, unable to speak her name out loud out of courtesy but wanting to so badly. Byleth... Byleth... a name that repeatedly shrouded his head with confusing thoughts.

"I always think about speaking to her, different conversations that we did have and then conversations we never had," he continued, thinking about one certain conversation about elephants, where Dimitri just payed attention to the gestures of her passionate fascination about the mythical creatures. "Even sometimes, I think about... holding her hand, or even... embracing her."

He was about the same color as the candle's flame now. Dedue waited for another pause to speak.

"Your Highness, I think I know what your problem is," Dedue interjected, and Dimitri raised his eyebrows, shock clear on his face. He had not expected Dedue to come up with an answer so quickly. "You have feelings for the professor."

Dimitri chuckled. "Well of course I do, Dedue. I already know that."

Dedue furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Then why are you confused?"

"What do you mean?"

"These strange feelings you have for the professor," Dedue started, no sense of discomfort coming from the man as he spoke, "if you already know they are romantic, then why are you asking me for assistance? Don't you have the answer already?"

Wait, what did he mean by romantic?

Dimitri's eyes widened in realization.

Oh.

Oh!

"Thank you, Dedue! You are a genius!" He exclaimed, kicking the other man out of his room not before giving him a quick thankful peck on the cheek and slamming the door on the vassal who was now slightly pink in the face and rubbing the cheek that was invisibly marked by Dimitri's lips in subdued delight.

\---

Dimitri walked out of his dorm room, first finding a stack of papers in the doorway with a small piece of lined paper on top of it with neat handwriting.

'These are some notes that might help you catch up. You can borrow them until you're able to recover from your distractions in class.

\- Dedue'

He smiled at the little note, gratefully placing the papers on his desk. Dimitri couldn't have asked for a better friend.

The professor greeted him as he walked to the stable to check on his horse, and of course Dimitri wouldn't pass up any oppurtunity to have a conversation with Byleth. Though with his newfound feelings, it made it difficult for him to focus on the conversation itself rather than focusing on whether or not he was saying or doing the right things.

"Professor," he greeted, "Nice seeing you here. Where are you headed?"

"Fishing pond. You know there are some rare fish today?" Her eyes glew with excitement at the idea, but Dimitri had no interest in fishing. He still wanted to listen to whatever she had to say about it, though. "I'm going to try to catch some platinum fish, so we can hire some new batallions for our next mission. You know, in case we run into some beasts."

Dimitri nodded and laughed, assuming it was an appropriate response.

"You probably don't care much about that do you though? How are you feeling about this month's mission?" She asked, her eyes growing softer and more empathetic.

"It's unfortunate that we have to fight Miklan. If only things had turned out differently, we may not have had to fight him at all," Dimitri explained, eyes downcast. "It is awful when you have to fight those you love. We've already seen it with poor Ashe and Lonato."

Byleth seemed to sympathize, a frown appearing on her face. Dimitri just wanted to go up and hug her until her smile returned, as a sad Professor was a sad everyone.

"Poor Sylvain," she mumbled, her shoulders slumping, "I wish we could do something."

"Me too," Dimitri agreed, showing concern for his professor in his eyes, "but at this point there is nothing we can do. Sure, Sylvain says that he hates him, but no matter what, it must be painful having to fight someone that you are so closely connected to."

Byleth nodded in agreement, and then walked past Dimitri, patting his shoulder before saying, "If you need to talk, let me know. I know this may bring back tough memories for you. I am here to support you if you need it."

And Dimitri watched her walk away, forgetting where his destination was with a heavy feeling of optimism in his heart.

\---

It was almost the night of the ball: the most romantic night of the school year, and one that would remain a very important day in most of the student's lives.

Though celebrations like this weren't really Dimitri's forté, he would still enjoy spending time with the others instead of worrying about his studies or the next battle or the entire Kingdom of Faerghus. Dimitri's days have been full of worry, but it had always been like that.

The winter's cool breeze combed through his greasy hair, reminding Dimitri that he would definitely have to take a bath soon. But for now, he just reveled in the cool weather as much as he could, smelling the firewood-scented air that reminded him so much of home. Oh, how he missed Faerghus. How he thought about each and every person back he knew back home and prayed for their safety as much as he could with Mercedes in the cathedral late at night. 

He remembers the night they fought Miklan: he reunited with an old friend who had a new name and a distant look in his eyes. He was afraid that everyone else back in Faerghus had lost their identity too, but knew that nobody could lose their spirit. Not even "Gilbert". 

Someone had placed a hand on his shoulder and sat beside him on the bench, and he didn't realize who until he turned around. His face warmed up even in the chilly atmosphere.

"Stressed about the ball?" The professor asked, and even though she was completely off on her guessing this time, Dimitri couldn't help but agree with her and nodded.

"I see," Byleth responded, focusing her vision on her thumbs twiddling, "I am as well."

This piqued Dimitri's interest, raising his eyebrows and looking straight at Byleth in confidence and curiosity. "Are you thinking of bringing someone to the Goddess Tower?"

This made Byleth turn a light shade of pink. "I'm considering it. Even one such as myself has a proneness to fall in love, you know." 

Trust me, Dimitri knows. He knows very well. So much that her words caused him to form a warm smile on his face, his eyes gentle as he said: "I wish everything goes well, then. And I'm sure it will."

Byleth thanks him and leaves before he can ask her who she would bring to the Goddess Tower.

\---

"Are you going to get her a gift?" Gilbert asked him, putting down his cup of almond tea. 

Dimitri took another sip of his own, and then grabbed a treat. "Should I? I don't know what kind of gift would be appropriate." He tried to picture Byleth recieving hundreds of different types of presents from him, but he could never imagine the exact one that would pique her interest.

"I think it's a grand idea, Your Highness. After all, that is how I wooed my wife all those years ago," Gilbert chuckled, old memories coming to light to him again. He never really talked about his wife that often, Dimitri realized. It was more Annette that spoke of her. "Remember those lessons I gave you when you were little?"

More memories flooded in, but this time in Dimitri's mind. A dynamic like father and son, smelting cheap jewelry in the smoke-filled air of the backstreets of the greatest city in Faerghus.

"So are you suggesting that I make her some jewelry?" Dimitri asked, taking a bite out of his treat. He considered it, but was not entirely convinced. What could he smelt that Byleth would appreciate? "She doesn't necessarily seem like a woman who likes jewelry of the sort."

"Well, would you like to smelt her a silver dagger, then?" Gilbert joked, and Dimitri rolled his eyes but laughed along as well. "I'm sure there's something that she would enjoy. How about a nice, golden pin? I'm sure with all of your practice that you can smelt a bit of gold at this point. Plus, even if she doesn't return your feelings, a simple pin might be a nice gesture for a thank you gift to a professor as well." 

Dimitri pondered this, tilting his head as he took another bite of his biscuit. He could imagine Byleth putting the pin on her coat, Dimitri proudly watching as she wore it as a permanent accessory and then hanging her coat up, still with the pin, as she undressed for the night... Dimitri shook his head as his thoughts were going in a completely different direction at this point. 

"Thank you, Gilbert," Dimitri smiled without any word of his response, and made his way to the marketplace, where the blacksmith almost seemed like she was waiting for him. Dimitri thought that Gilbert may have planned this all along, and he wouldn't think less of his burly old friend. 

"Good afternoon, madam," he said, bowing to her and smiling. "I would like to smelt something. I will buy some gold of you, and any fees for the tools."

The blacksmith smiled. "Of course, Your Highness. Use the station as you please."

And so, he went to work designing his first piece of gold jewelry. He spent hours carving, melting, and drying the material until he ended up with a result that he was indeed satisfied with.

The pin had a flame with two wings on the side, representing a phoenix, one of the most famous birds in all of Fódlan, but also reminded him somewhat of her nickname, the "Ashen Demon". It could be taken either way, he thought. 

It was almost midnight when he left the money on the counter as the blacksmith had left, wrapped the pin and took it back to his dormitory.

\---

The ball had always been one of the most extravagant celebrations at Garreg Mach. The Reception Hall was set up beautifully with food, circular tables, open spaces to dance, sing, and chat with your peers, and of course, the beautiful path leading up to the Goddess Tower. 

Dimitri was sitting down, having a lively conversation with Annette and Petra. He had had a few drinks, which was obviously not legal, but at this point nobody was completely sober anymore. Except for maybe Cyril and Flayn. 

"People have been mentioning the weirdest of rumors," Petra mentioned, giggling in a cute, yet somber way. "They are saying the professor will be having a confession to one of the students here."

Annette was laughing hysterically, and she hadn't stopped for the past hour. Dimitri was starting to get a bit concerned.

The redhead slapped Petra's shoulder and said between short breaths, "No way Petrahahaha! I thought the professor was... hehe... the professor was gonna be a... pfft... monk or something!" 

The two girls almost keeled over in laughter, and Dimitri just had to put his opinion in the mix too. "I don't believe the professor would be a monk, rather than a mysterious mercenary. She doesn't seem that interested in religion."

Annette just kept laughing and Petra slapped her across the face, pausing her for a moment, before continuing on with her laughter with even more vigor and liveliness.

"You're only saying that because," Annette paused in a fit of laughter, "you have a crush on herrrrrrrrrrr..." Her voice drawled on, until her head fell face down into the table, passing out from sheer exhaustion. Her snores were almost louder than the laughs, though, so she still filled in the absence of her drunken obnoxiousness.

Petra patted her head, looking back at Dimitri. "She had many drinks that she could most likely not handle," she sighed, and got up, carrying the other girl in her arms. "I must be on the leave. Enjoy the night as it lasts, Dimitri." 

And so she took off, having some difficulty carrying the smaller girl in her arms but eventually getting some help from Hubert and Seteth on the way.

Dimitri sat alone at his table until he saw someone else make their way over, someone who was always able to shock Dimitri with their presence. Especially this time, when he felt his heart beat a thousand times in his chest when she sat down across from him.

"One hell of a celebration, huh," She grumbled, putting her head in her hand, and Dimitri watched as her cheeks squished and made her look even more adorable than usual. "What happened to her?" She then asked, her head turned towards the door where some of them exited carrying Annette's body.

"She had one too many drinks," Dimitri chuckled, though he wasn't really focused on the conversation at the moment. His hand was twitching, an urge to reach inside his pocket and give her the gift already.

"Oh, I see," Byleth responded, taking a sip of whatever drink she was holding. "I guess it's the one night we can really enjoy ourselves, though, huh? Poor Annette must not be able to handle too many drinks. Though, at one point everyone falls, right?"

Dimitri's mind was completely astray from her pointless drunk rambling, and so finally worked up the guts to pull the pin out of his pocket and present it to the professor. Byleth's eyes widened, and she smiled at Dimitri, but didn't take the pin from his hands yet, so his hand was left shaking nervously in front of him, like a man holding an engagement ring out to his loved one.

"This... is a token of my thanks," Dimitri started, though it seems he had too many drinks to be finished too, as he said, "and my love for you."

Byleth gasped, but not as exasperadly as he hoped. Her eyes looked down in sorrow.

"I'm sorry," she choked, through her raspy voice, "it seems I let everyone down." Dimitri had not expected that. Maybe a rejection, and in little chance, maybe an acception. But certainly not an apology. 

"What do you mean?" asked Dimitri, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "There is nothing to be sorry about. I am simply stating my feelings for you. There is nothing you can do to control your own."

"I wish there was," Byleth whispered, loud enough for Dimitri to hear. "I don't want to hurt your feelings. You're such a good person, Dimitri."

"If you do not return my feelings, it doesn't matter. But please, at least accept my gift. My hands are tired, and I worked very hard on making this and would hate for it to go to waste." Byleth eyed the pin, considering it, then wallowing in her guilt once again, staring at her drink. Dimitri had to say something to convince her to accept it. "Professor, you have done so much for me and the rest of the class over this school year so far. You are the reason we are all still alive. The least you can do is accept this, as a thank you gift for our unending gratitude."

And with that, and a grateful smile, Byleth took the pin from Dimitri's shaking hand and stuck in on her coat, the exact same place he had imagined she would. Her eyes glew with a newfound confidence, and Dimitri couldn't feel happier for her in that moment.

She reached out her hand and held his gently, and Dimitri realized it was the first time they had ever made skin-to-skin contact. And possibly the last. 

"Just because I don't feel that way about you, don't forget how much I care about you. I care about all of my students deeply, and you each have amazing personalities and I wish that I could fall in love with all of you if you asked me to. Unfortunately, in this life, we can only choose one. Though, I hope you find someone who is even better fit for you." 

When their hands parted, and so did they, Dimitri's fingers longed for her touch again, and he returned to his room to soak up his pillow with tears that yearned to fall throughout the whole conversation.

\---

Weeks later, he found Linhardt and the professor sitting in the gardens. His head was comfortably cozy in her lap, and she combed her fingers through his grass-colored hair, looking at him like he was the most beautiful thing in the world. Dimitri's heart warmed at the sight.

"Hi Professor," Dimitri waved, a welcoming smile on his face. Byleth's eyes widened at the greeting, and looked up at Dimitri. He smiled understandably, put two fingers up to his mouth and mimicked zipping it shut. The professor sighed, and mouthed a 'thank you' and then Dimitri was on his way.

He was glad that she was still wearing the pin.


End file.
